


old and new dreams

by lesmiserablol



Series: fics where sokka has chronic pain [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Ambassador Sokka (Avatar), Chronic Pain, Firelord Zuko (Avatar), Getting Together, Injury Recovery, Light Angst, M/M, References to Depression, Sokka (Avatar)-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:01:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26153098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesmiserablol/pseuds/lesmiserablol
Summary: From here he has a good view of the gardens. A much younger Sokka would’ve vaulted over the balcony’s railing, dropping just a few feet and landing effortlessly on the plants before running deeper into the gardens. Ever since he broke his leg on the day of Sozin’s comet four years ago, that wasn’t something he could do anymore.(in which Sokka has chronic pain, supportive friends, and hot towels)
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: fics where sokka has chronic pain [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2036362
Comments: 88
Kudos: 668





	old and new dreams

**Author's Note:**

> An anon sent me an ask about the potential of Sokka having lasting pain/difficulties in his leg after breaking it on the day of Sozin's Comet and I have not stopped thinking about it since. I myself have suffered with chronic pain for over three and a half years but in my arms and wrists from a car accident, and while I heavily drew on my own experiences to write this fic I recognize that they are not universal. There is some Zukka here but this fic is mainly focused on Sokka and his physical and mental struggles with chronic pain.
> 
> Enjoy!

Sokka wakes up to the dull, yet familiar, ache that starts in his ankle, climbs up his calf, and spreads throughout his whole left leg. He sighs and rubs a hand over his face as he yawns, considering going back to sleep, but now that he’s up he doubts he’ll be able to fall back asleep. He used to joke about sleep being his favorite time of day, but now that it’s the time when he feels the least amount of pain - assuming it doesn’t keep him up in the first place - that statement couldn’t be more true. 

He slowly sits up, pushing the light blanket off of him and carefully resting his two feet on the floor. He bends over to take off the supportive brace wrapped around his lower leg, keeping his ankle in place as he sleeps to avoid putting it through any painful positions during the night. He moves his ankle around in the air, letting it pop a few times before gently putting weight on his feet to test the strength of his left leg today. The dull ache doesn’t get worse, so he smiles in satisfaction as he stands up and takes a few careful steps to his balcony. 

The sun has just risen, and the fresh morning air relaxes him as he sits down on the rug and begins to stretch. His ankle is usually the weakest in the morning, becoming stiff from immobility, but these stretches help him relax the tense muscles to prepare for the day ahead. 

He absentmindedly massages his calf as he observes the scenery from his low balcony in the palace. From here he has a good view of the gardens. A much younger Sokka would’ve vaulted over the balcony’s railing, dropping just a few feet and landing effortlessly on the plants before running deeper into the gardens. Ever since he broke his leg on the day of Sozin’s Comet four years ago, that wasn’t something he could do anymore. He smiles wistfully at the thought before standing up, grabbing the replica of his space sword and making his way to the training grounds for practice. 

“I haven’t seen you here in a long time.” 

Sokka pauses to wipe the sweat off his forehead and jabs his sword through the stomach of his mannequin opponent before turning around to face Zuko. 

“Oh, ya know,” Sokka gives a dismissive wave, still breathing heavily. “Taking advantage of a good day while I still have it.”

“Just make sure you don’t turn it too sour too quickly,” Zuko suggests, unsheathing his own swords.

“Do you want to spar?” Sokka asks, changing the topic quickly. 

Zuko raises an eyebrow. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

Sokka looks away. His friend means well, and Sokka can’t blame him for wanting to be careful. That doesn’t mean he feels any less frustrated with himself for his weaknesses. He feels an ache in his chest whenever he dwells on the time when he and Zuko would spar in the Western Air Temple every day. 

“But I trust you to know your limits,” Zuko adds, holding his swords up. 

Sokka beams, the hollow feeling in his chest replaced with a rush of excitement, pulling his sword out of the practice dummy and turning on his right ankle to immediately swing it toward Zuko. Zuko is surprised, lifting his swords in defense at the last second before making a quick recovery and retaliating. 

It’s slower compared to how they used to spar, and less exciting. Zuko clearly watches his swings so that Sokka can favor his right leg without having to jump to his left for any quick dodges or lunges. Sokka doesn’t mind, though, he’s just happy to spar again. 

As soon as he takes a step back, lowering his sword, Zuko stops and watches him. 

“Well done,” he says, breathing heavily. 

“I have to keep you on your toes,” Sokka grins. “Just because I have a good excuse for getting rusty doesn’t mean I can drag you down with me.”

Zuko rolls his eyes. 

* * *

Sokka is propped into a sitting position against the headboard of his bed, his legs stretched out in front of him with a pillow propped under his ankle and reading a letter from his father when he hears a knock on his door and clears his throat, calling out, “Come in.”

He glances up as it opens and Zuko peeks his head in. Sokka offers a smile that is tighter than he wants it to be before quickly looking back down at the letter. “Hey,” he says.

“I was wondering where you were,” Zuko muses, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. In his red robes, he sticks out like a sore thumb in Sokka’s room. The sheets, curtains, rugs - _everything_ is a different shade of blue. One wall is covered with letters, maps, and notes that he has hung up for easy access. Another wall displays some weapons and across from that, there are several decorations to remind him of home, ranging from a necklace of teeth from his first hunt to the wall hanging that had covered the doorway of the igloo he grew up in, as well as other knick knacks from his childhood resting on shelves or nails.

“I brought you something,” Zuko says, coming to sit on the edge of the bed, right next to Sokka’s knees

Sokka looks up again and notices for the first time the steaming bowl in Zuko’s hands. 

“You brought me hot towels!” he exclaims giddily, smiling widely at his friend, who blushes. “You didn’t have to do that!”

“Maybe not, but I wanted to. I noticed that you had a slight limp earlier but I didn’t want to bring it to everyone’s attention without your permission, so I thought I’d do this instead,” Zuko explains. “You didn’t hurt yourself when we were sparring a few days ago, did you?”

“No, no, it wasn’t that.” Sokka sighs, putting the letter to the side. He had been trying to hide his pain from Zuko today, but now he wonders why he ever thought that was a better alternative to having such a thoughtful friend by his side. Zuko has proven time and time again to be a good listener and a great source of comfort and support when the pain flares up, but that does not mean it is easy for Sokka to open up to him. Luckily, Zuko is good at stepping in and giving Sokka an opportunity to talk. Even now, Sokka knows that he could thank and dismiss him, or let him stay and talk about everything on his mind.

He chooses the latter. 

“It’s been one of those days. I didn’t have time to do a lot of stretching this morning, and after being on my feet a lot the past day or two, I’ve been paying for it,” Sokka tells him as he starts to lay the hot towels on Sokka’s calf and around his ankle. Sokka lets out a slight hiss at the sudden heat, but relaxes an instant later with a moan as the heat both distracts him from the pain and soothes the aching. “Spirits, Zuko, that feels perfect.” 

Zuko is blushing but he doesn’t look away from the towels. “Ty Lee did mention last time how she had the chance to teach you some new stretches, have they been helping when you do get a chance to do them?”

“Oh, definitely, she’s an angel,” Sokka confirms. “I don’t know what I’d do without her. Or you, for that matter.”

Zuko shoots him a small smile. “Of course. Do you want me to massage your ankle tonight?”

Sokka’s heart soars, and he has to make a conscious effort to calm his expression. “Maybe later, thank you. Anything I can do for you while I’m trapped in bed?” 

Zuko shakes his head. “You already do plenty, but thank you.”

Sokka‘s smile falls, staring at the steam rising from the towels instead of at Zuko. “Not really.”

“Hey.” Zuko puts the bowl with more towels down by his feet and then slides over on the bed, closer to Sokka, and puts two fingers under his chin to tilt his head up and make eye contact. “Sokka, you do so much. For me and for everyone here. I don't say it enough, but I appreciate you being here more than I can say.”

Sokka huffs a laugh and blinks quickly. “I feel like such a freeloader. Just hanging around the palace because I have nowhere else to go.”

Zuko’s hand moves down to grab Sokka’s, and Sokka grips it back tightly. He knows he’s overreacting, that this is just the result of some pent up emotions over the past few days, but he is relieved to know that Zuko doesn’t judge him or think less of him for it. 

“That’s not true and you know it. I invited you to stay here as my friend. Any of our other friends would happily do the same. You matter so much to us, Sokka. And to me personally. Having you around makes me so happy. I...I don’t know what I would do without you.”

Sokka takes a deep, shaky breath, wiping away his tears with his free hand. Crying in front of a cute boy isn’t ideal, but he and Zuko have had their fair share of moments like these to make it more comfortable. “Okay. Thank you.”

"What can I do to help you?”

“Just...you can help me by letting me help you. If you need anything at all, I want to be less of a burden in any way I can.”

“You’re not a burden at all,” Zuko glares, and then he pauses. “But, actually, there may be something you can do.”

Sokka lights up. “Really? What is it?”

“Well,” Zuko starts. “As you know, we are in the beginning stages of transitioning from an international council to having full time Ambassadors from all over the world. You already live here, you are from the Southern Water Tribe, and you have plenty of experience at doing good for the world, so I was thinking...well, you’d be a perfect Ambassador.”

Sokka experiences a lot of emotions in the few moments of silence following Zuko’s words. 

At first, he feels excitement, happiness, pride. He just told Zuko to give him something to do, and Zuko whips out a job on a silver platter. An Ambassador? It sounds like a big deal, not something he is perfectly qualified for, but then he thinks of the world leaders he has become familiar with over the years. He always gets along with them, even if he has to fake a smile through their conversations. And not only is he good at strategizing, but he loves it, and would love to do this.

But then he hesitates, his excitement replaced by a sudden onslaught of negative feelings. Insecurity at his own abilities. Worry for disappointing Zuko and making him look bad. An ache in his chest as he thinks about having to work side by side with his father as opposed to taking over the role as chief one day, like he always wanted. 

His eyes once again rest on the hot towels on his leg. His damn leg...if it weren’t for the fact that it refuses to heal completely, he wouldn’t be having this conversation right now. He wouldn’t be in a room surrounded by memories of home, he would be _in_ his home, surrounded by his Tribe. He’s had this pity party plenty of times in the past few years, but a rush of homesickness and anger still rises in his chest, and he closes his eyes. 

“That was a lot to just spring on you,” Zuko says quietly after a few moments. “I apologize.”

“No, it’s fine, I just...” Sokka bites his lip as he opens his eyes. If it were anyone else, he would feel defensive at being treated so gently. But with Zuko, he doesn’t. He just feels the usual exhaustion - not just physical, but mental - that hangs over him with every wave of pain. “Thank you for the towels. I’m really tired, I think I just want to go to sleep.” 

Zuko nods, giving Sokka’s hand another squeeze before letting go to stand up. He wishes Sokka a goodnight, and Sokka watches the door close behind him. 

He moves the letter to his side table, knowing he won’t be able to focus on anything for the rest of the night. He shifts away from the headboard and lies down, his leg still propped on the pillow and wrapped in towels. He stares at the ceiling above him, his racing mind distracting him from his aching ankle for once as he thinks about home.

* * *

Sokka remembers his first trip back to the Southern Water Tribe after the war very well, just a few months after Sozin’s comet. While his leg was healing, he stayed in the Fire Nation palace. Hakoda returned to the Tribe, hugging Sokka tightly and telling him to come home when he was healed and not a day sooner.

For a couple weeks, it felt like their days on the road, just way more luxurious. Katara stayed with him to keep him company and to offer her healing abilities to those in Caldera City who needed it. Aang and Zuko spent a lot of time working on the immediate consequences of a hundred year old war ending. Toph went to visit her parents but returned to the palace after a few days, offering her own help around. Suki worked with Ty Lee and other new recruits to the Kyoshi Warriors. 

But then Suki and the warriors returned to Kyoshi Island to complete more training. Aang went with Katara back to the South Pole. Toph spent her time split between her home village and the palace. Zuko began to ease himself into more responsibilities. Sokka didn’t take it personally. They all wrote to him frequently and he saw Zuko on a daily basis, more often than not. He made new friends with people around the palace. 

But it wasn’t the same, slowly walking around the palace hallways alone.

Finally they took the cast off his leg, and Sokka was ready to snap his crutch in half, toss it out the window, and get back out there and move on with his life. What he wasn’t prepared for was weeks of therapy to help his leg, during which he continued to stay to recover at the Fire Nation until Zuko mentioned paying a friendly diplomatic visit and invited Sokka. 

Sokka had been so excited, he even packed his bags to move back home. 

He paced the small air balloon until he started to limp, and settled with leaning on his right leg and staring out at the open water. As they neared the South Pole, the air got colder and the dull ache in his pain intensified. By the time they landed the air balloon, he couldn’t stand on his own. Each step caused a jolt of hot pain, and even just resting it left him miserable. The guards had stepped forward immediately to assist him but Zuko’s offer was the one that Sokka took up. He helped Sokka walk out of the balloon to greet Hakoda. Hakoda looked concerned, and Sokka knew it came from a good place but he didn’t want his pity at the moment. It had been months and Sokka still wasn’t back to normal yet, but that thought was in the back of his mind. He was excited to finally be back home.

He ignored the pain in order to show Zuko the tiny village where he had grown up, the spot where he had practiced throwing his boomerang, the little toys that Hakoda had carved for him as a kid. He was excited when the sky darkened and people started to gather around the fire, dancing once their meal was over.

The next day, he had woken up with a head full of ideas of how to spend his time back home, but before he could even make it out of the igloo to find his dad, he was forced to lie back down, wincing and swallowing down cries of pain as he clutched his leg to his chest. He focused on counting his breath to distract himself, and he was surprised that he could fall back asleep but not excited to be woken up a half hour later by his concerned father, still holding his leg.

The rest of the day was more miserable than the one before. Even with help, Sokka struggled to keep his footing on the snowy terrain and he almost slipped on several occasions. The wind seemed to pierce him to the bones in his leg in a way that he had never experienced before.

He wanted to enjoy his time back home. He wanted to unpack all the things he had brought with him. Instead, he had a difficult conversation with his father and found himself packing up some of his old things to take back to the Fire Nation to remind him of home.

* * *

Sokka wakes up with the sun shining in his face, and he rolls onto his side with a groan. He doesn’t know when he fell asleep, but he remembers the thoughts of home that lulled him to sleep and gave him dreams of snowy landscapes and fresh arctic hen.

He lifts his head off his pillow, realizing that the lump on the floor is the hot towel that he must’ve kicked off at some point last night, and he fell asleep before he could put on his supportive brace. He knows he will regret that sooner or later, and wishes he had been conscious enough to at least enjoy the freedom of sleeping without it.

Determined to not let the day start off on the wrong foot (pun intended), he gets up and walks slowly out of his room, his feet taking him to the gardens where he finds a bench, rests his back against the armrest, and props his legs up.  He considers trying to meditate, but he has never been good at “clearing his mind” and is therefore grateful when the silence is interrupted.

“What’s got you brooding so early?” Toph asks. 

“What’s got you awake so early?” he shoots back, and she smirks. 

“Not all of us make a habit of sleeping until noon. I heard you walking around, so I followed.” She walks closer to the bench. “Can I sit here?”

“Creepy,” Sokka mutters, even as he moves his legs out of the way for her to take a seat. “Go for it. Get ready for a lapful of my feet, though.”

“Fine with me.” Toph sits and Sokka rests his feet on her thigh. She pretends to gag immediately, pinching her nose for just a second.

“I want you to know that I am rolling my eyes at you,” Sokka deadpans, and she laughs. “Why were you following me?”

“I just wanted to find out why you missed dinner last night. I thought you had died until Zuko mentioned you were in your room.” 

Sokka sighs, the memories of his conversation coming back to him, and Toph tilts her head toward him.

“Ooh, did that strike a chord? I can’t tell if your heart is going wild like it usually does at the mention of his name, so you’re going to have to help me out here.”

Sokka elects not to acknowledge that. “Zuko wants me to be the ambassador for the Southern Water Tribe,” he admits quietly. 

“That’s a good thing, right?” Toph asks, tilting her head. 

Sokka shrugs half-heartedly. “It’s great! It’s a ton of responsibility and it involves a lot of communication and planning and working together, which are all things I’m pretty good at. It’s the perfect job for me.”

“But?” Toph prompts. 

“But I don’t know if it’s what I want. Or what my younger self would want for me. The Water Tribe, that’s my home! I love it and I love the people and I spent years watching over them. I was prepared to die defending them. I always imagined my whole life there - starting a family and taking over as chief once my dad was ready to step down. Becoming chief was my biggest dream.”

“It hurts your leg to be there, right?” Toph asks, and Sokka hums to confirm her guess. “Have you been back since that first trip with Zuko?” 

“Only a few times. Never long enough to actually stay the night. Just for Dad’s birthday, or because Aang was stopping by and offered me a ride. But it was always the same. Always a disaster.” Sokka’s shoulders sag.

Toph wordlessly starts gently massaging Sokka’s foot and ankle. “You must miss it a lot.”

“I do,” Sokka says, leaning his foot into her touch in a show of his appreciation. “I miss it every day. The Fire Nation is great, too. I love the things I can do here and the person I have become over the past few years, and I’m glad I have been able to learn so much. But it’s just so hard to let go of my home, of the future I had planned for myself in the Southern Water Tribe, and forget my old dreams.”

“Okay, well first of all, you’re not letting go of your home, so don’t tell yourself that. The Water Tribe will always be a huge part of your life and who you are, even if you don’t live there. Second, it sucks when you think you have everything planned out and something upends that plan entirely. I would know, I had some losers take me away from my life as an earthbending champion,” Toph says. 

Sokka laughs. “Yeah, you’re welcome for that.”

“Anyway, letting go of old plans and dreams like that is hard. No one is expecting you to just accept your new fate without struggling. We would be shocked if you didn’t have a hard time with this.”

Sokka hums thoughtfully. “You got a point. I’m definitely having my fair share of struggles.”

“Such as?” Toph asks after a few moments.

“Oh, where to begin. I miss running and sparring and not having this dark cloud hanging over me all the time. I miss being able to sleep on my stomach, or even just lying down without worrying if it's hurting my leg. I miss not falling asleep with and waking up to the constant ache. I miss the way people used to treat me. I miss thinking of myself as a warrior. I miss being normal.” He stares at the clouds above them. “Sorry. I hate to complain to you.”

“Shut up,” Toph says. She stops massaging Sokka’s foot and turns her head in his direction again. “You have every right to feel upset about your circumstances. Just because your struggles are different from mine doesn’t mean they are less real.”

Sokka feels a thump in his throat. He and Toph have had this conversation a few times before, but it helps him to remember it every now and then. To know it’s okay to feel this way, that it’s expected, really. 

“Being normal is overrated,” Toph continues. “Maybe it’s who you used to be, but the sooner you accept that that person is gone, the better off you’ll be. What are some of the good things about your life now?”

“Well, I do enjoy living here. I grew to love the food here and even taught the cooks how to make some dishes from home. The heat doesn’t hurt my leg at all. The sunsets are breathtaking. I have you, I have the turtleducks, and...” he trails off, and Toph nudges his good leg, grinning widely. 

“And?” she prompts, and Sokka laughs quietly. 

“And Zuko. I have Zuko,” he finishes with a smile. 

Toph is smiling, too. “You were hurt, and you still hurt every day. But that doesn’t mean the rest of your life has to suck. It just means you have to figure something else out. Find a new dream, or whatever.”

“Oh.” Sokka’s mind is racing. It makes perfect sense, he can’t believe he didn’t think of it before. He can still follow his dreams, he just...needs to realize what they are, first. “Toph, you’re a genius.”

“I know I am.”

* * *

Zuko is pacing in his study with the door open when Sokka finds him that evening. He knocks on the door and Zuko looks up quickly, a tense expression transforming into a smile when he sees who it is. 

“Hey,” he says, and Sokka can’t hold back his wide smile in return. 

“Hey there,” he replies, walking in. Zuko immediately gestures to his seat for Sokka to sit in and he gratefully takes it, letting out a small sigh as the pressure leaves his leg. 

“How are you feeling today?” Zuko asks sincerely, stopping his pacing to stand in front of Sokka. 

Sokka opens his mouth to rattle off his usual automatic response of “I’m fine,” but he stops, thinking back on his day.

“The end of the day is always hard, even on good days I get tired by the end,” he says honestly. “It’s aching right now, but I don’t think it’s so bad that it’ll keep me up tonight.”

“That’s good,” Zuko says, relaxing slightly. “Do you want some hot towels tonight?”

Sokka beams. “That would be wonderful, actually.”

“Okay, I’m done for the night, I was just thinking some things through,” Zuko says. “Want me to carry you to your room? I promise to not come close to running over a servant this time.”

Sokka laughs. “In a minute. Could we talk, first?”

Zuko nods seriously and pulls another chair in front of his friend and sits down. “Everything okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine, I just wanted to talk about the Ambassador thing you mentioned yesterday.” He takes a deep breath. “I want to do it.”

Zuko’s eyes light up. “Really?”

“Yes, really. It sounds amazing. I’m sorry if I seemed ungrateful, I really am honored by your offer, I just...” Sokka looks up from a spot he had been staring at on the floor to meet Zuko’s eyes. “I’ve spent my whole life thinking I’ll be chief one day. Preparing, training, disciplining myself to lead my tribe and protect my people. I wanted it more than anything.

“Then Aang showed up, and we started traveling the world, and my perspective changed. I had never left the South Pole before, and suddenly I was seeing all these new cultures and meeting new people as well as sharing parts of my culture with them. It was incredible and I loved it, even when we had to have a handful of berries for dinner or we were sleeping on rocks.

“And then I hurt my leg. And I couldn’t walk around my own home or even stand the cold air. I felt angry, confused, ashamed, embarrassed. I didn’t know who I was without this identity of being chief. And it’s taken me a long time to accept it, but I know I will never be the chief because of my injury. And that is okay. I still love my home. I still can do a lot of good for my people. And as Ambassador, that’s what I’ll get to do. I can still be a good leader for them, even if I am not with them.”

Zuko smiles. “I have been thinking of asking you to be an Ambassador ever since the council started discussing it. I know how much the Water Tribe means to you, and I only want to do what is best for them. I think  _ you  _ are the best for them. Your passion for your people and your culture is evident in, well, everything about you.”

Sokka beams. “I’m glad you think so. I won’t let you down, Zuko.”

“I know you won’t,” Zuko says. 

“And I think my first act as Ambassador will be better trade routes for the Fire Nation so we can acquire the best sea prunes,” Sokka winks.

Zuko rolls his eyes, but he’s laughing. “I’ll keep that in mind.  We’ll get started on making your position official tomorrow. For now, you look tired.”

“Ouch,” Sokka says, pulling out the ribbon tying his hair back and running a hand through his hair. “Do I really look that bad?”

He gets his answer from the blush on Zuko’s face and the way his eyes widen before he glances away quickly, clearing his throat.

“I just meant you probably want some rest after a long day. Can I carry you to your room now?” Zuko offers, and Sokka nods.  He doesn’t mind being carried around as long as it means he gets to be closer to Zuko. 

Zuko gets up to scoop him in his arms and Sokka wraps his arms around Zuko's broad shoulders. He goes slow, careful not to bump Sokka’s leg into anything or jostle him too much. 

“I still can’t believe you are no longer the scrawny 16 year old I first met,” Sokka muses as Zuko effortlessly carries him out of the study and into the palace hallway. 

“I wasn't that scrawny," Zuko protests. "But now I have you to carry around, that certainly is helping my physique."

Sokka snorts. “Yes, that’s a good point. Maybe I’ve been faking it this whole time just to do you a favor.”

Zuko rolls his eyes, but then gives Sokka a serious look. “You’re not faking it, Sokka. Don’t forget that.”

Sokka glances away with a shaky sigh. The reminder is nice. 

“What changed your mind?” Zuko asks. “About being an Ambassador?”

“Oh, the usual. Toph gave me some awesome advice.”

“She’s good at that. What did she say?”

Sokka smiles. “She told me that my condition shouldn’t stop me from being happy. That I should find some new dreams and follow those.” 

“And this is your new dream, then?”

Sokka shrugs. “That’s part of it.” He then leans forward and kisses Zuko on the cheek. “This is the other part.”

Zuko trips on his own feet and stumbles, recovering just before the two of them can crash into the floor. He stops walking and stands straight, his arms tight around Sokka and his cheeks a bright red. He turns his head to look at Sokka, their faces just inches apart. 

“Sorry about that,” Zuko says, voice strained. “Are you okay?” 

“I’m fine,” Sokka laughs. “Are you? If a mere kiss on the cheek does that to you, I wonder what kind of reaction a kiss on the lips would warrant.”

“Why don’t you find out?” Zuko asks breathlessly. 

Sokka narrows his eyes. “I get that you were trying to flirt with me there, but I really don’t want you to drop me on these hard floors. You can at least do me the favor of setting me down somewhere. Like, a bed, maybe?”

Zuko starts walking faster, leading the two of them toward his room, and Sokka smiles and gives Zuko another kiss on the cheek. 

“For the record, this is my dream, too,” Zuko tells him, stopping in front of his door as Sokka turns the handle and lets them in. He steps inside and Sokka kicks the door shut behind them.

**Author's Note:**

> Every person who can relate to Sokka here needs friends like Zuko and Toph. If you are that friend, shoutout to you, you are amazing.
> 
> As someone who for ten years had an idea of what she wanted to do with her life and then had that taken away due to her condition, this fic is a ton of self projection onto Sokka. Hopefully I can figure out my new dreams, lol. (Yes, I intentionally referenced Tangled in this story because it is the greatest movie ever and I love it with all my heart.) Anyway. This fic was both very therapeutic and very difficult to write. Let me know what you think!
> 
> [My tumblr](http://www.bisexuallsokka.tumblr.com)!


End file.
